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USA, New Jersey: Marriage Equality Efforts Move Ahead

Written by scott on July 3rd, 2013

Several marriage equality efforts are moving forward at the same time. First off, Democrats plan to try to override Governor Christie’s veto. Towleroad.com reports:

New Jersey Senate Democrats, led by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, held a press conference yesterday announcing that they would hold a vote to override Governor Chris Christie’s veto of a marriage equality bill the legislature passed last year. Sweeney urged Republicans to allow a “conscience vote” on the issue given the Supreme Court’s strikedown of DOMA, the NJ Star-Ledger reports: But first, Sweeney said, at least a few Republicans have to change their no votes to yes. The Senate president said Christie has intimidated GOP lawmakers, claiming some have privately admitted they would like to change their votes to allow same-sex marriage.

And over at NJ.com, they’re reporting on a hearing before the Superior Court where six same sex couples urged the court to rule that civil unions aren’t good enough:

Boxing New Jersey’s gay and lesbian couples in civil unions instead of allowing them to marry violates several constitutional rights and “simply cannot be justified” in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s watershed gay-rights ruling last week, a group of same-sex couples argued in state court today. Through their attorneys, the six couples and their children asked Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson to grant them the right to marry immediately in light of the Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Windsor last week.

One way or another, it’s looking likely that New Jersey will become the 14th state to have full marriage equality.